The Man Who Made Lists: Love, Death, Madness, and the Creation of Roget's Thesaurus

by Joshua Kendall

Book Overview

In the tradition of The Professor and the Madman, a "brisk and vivid"( Los Angeles Times) account of an obsessive scholar.

Polymath, eccentric, and synonym aficionado, Peter Mark Roget had a host of female admirers, was one of the first to test the effects of laughing gas, invented the slide rule, and narrowly escaped jail in Napoleon's France. But Roget is best known for making lists.

After the tragic turmoil...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0425225895
• ISBN13: 9780425225899
• Release Date: March 2009
• Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.5" x 8.2"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

I learned something . .

I enjoyed this book, it felt like a historical romp with fascinating people. I picked up the book because I was intrigued with the underlying story about how a doctor with an apparent obsessive compulsive disorder and crazy family would end up being best known for creating a book that increased my vocabulary and helped me polish many college papers. Roget lived in an amazing time when "poets were scientists," and he defines the Renaissance man, which is something that I had not appreciated prior to reading this book. The book does take many tangents that are usually entertaining as they involve many other famous figures who happen to be friends w/ Roget. (If Roget had written the book himself he would surely have been accused of name dropping). In general, I learned something about this logophile, why he created the Thesaurus and how he thrived in a remarkable era.

Superb read on Roget's Thesaurus

This book kept me engrossed till the finish. A fascinating insight into Roget and his misfortune-plagued family and how it led him to his famous thesaurus. I was quite amazed at the development of his career and what he did and achieved. Strongly recommended read.

The Man Who Made Lists

Couldn't put the book down. Peter Roget's life was fascinating, there were many historical facts intertwined that made the book an even more interesting read.

Page-turner yet sensitive, accessible yet stimulating

This fine new biography, as the New York Times calls it in its 3/16/08 Book Review, has the distinction of being a page-turning, entertaining read but at the same time is full of concept and history. Delightful!